Humanoid robots with a heart to be sold in the US next year

Advertised as the “first personal robot with emotions,” Pepper is SoftBank’s attempt at introducing affordable androids to the common man. According to Bloomberg, US residents can look forward to purchasing a Pepper of their own from Sprint stores by next summer, following its Japanese release in February.

SoftBank Robotics CEO Fumihide Tomizawa told Bloomberg that he would not be surprised if sales were “half to business and half to consumers.” The company expects to make money from applications and personalization-related content, both of which may transform the 4-foot-tall robot into a more approachable entity. Pepper was announced during a press conference in June along with its startlingly low price of ¥198,000 (around $1,930). SoftBank has yet to reveal how much Pepper will cost in the US.